Drywall joint compounds are sold in a dry powder form to be mixed with water by the user just prior to use, and also in ready-mixed aqueous slurry form, requiring only a minimum of preparation by the user prior to use. A problem exists in packaging the ready-mixed joint compounds in that portions of the ready-mixed compound which are in contact with the inner surface of a package tend to give up part of the water, which alters the character of that drier part of the joint compound.
One form of packaging of ready-mixed joint compounds involves inserting a polyethylene film bag into a substantially cubic corrugated cardboard box, sleeving the top of the bag by folding it back onto the outside of the box, and squirting the container full of ready-mixed joint compound, commonly referred to as "ready-mix". The top of the polyethylene bag is then closed and a wire tie keeps the bag airtight. Flaps, forming the cardboard box top are then folded down over the bag, and the box is sealed shut.
In filling the polyethylene bag and closing it, small amounts of the ready-mix will commonly become spattered or otherwise stuck onto an upper portion of the bag that is folded over the top of the ready-mix, but not in complete contact with the ready-mix. These small amounts tend to dry out prior to the ultimate user opening the box, and when the ultimate user then opens the box and the polyethylene bag, these dried out small amounts become loosened and fall into the ready-mix, contaminating the ready-mix to an even greater extent than the somewhat dried parts of the main body of the ready-mix which are in contact with the inner surface of the package.